Thursday, October 13, 2011

The American White Pelican

The American
White Pelican

One of the largest birds in North America, the American
White Pelican measures an average of 60 inches in length, and 107 inches in
width.Weighing in at around 16 pounds
on average, the white pelicans have an impressive wingspan of 9 to 10 feet.

Pelicans have a vertebra in their neck which prohibits
them from ever raising their face.The yellowish
pouch connected to the lower mandible of their beak can stretch up to six inchesand can hold three
gallons of water!

The Mississippi River and its tributaries provide ideal
habitat for the American White Pelican. Large flocks can be spotted on sandbars
and small islands located within sloughs and backwaters such as Ellis Bay at
the Riverlands Migratory Bird Sanctuary which create foraging opportunities.
The American white pelican can also be found near lakes, salt bays, marshes,
and beaches throughout their migration.

Large flock of the American White Pelican feeding.

Pelicans are carnivorous. Their diet
consists of fish and crustaceans. After a fish is caught, the bill is pointed
downward allowing the water to drain. The bill is then raised and the bird
swallows. When feeding, a group of pelicans work together by driving the fish ahead
and plunging their bills in the water simultaneously.

The American White Pelicans winter on
the Gulf Coast, California, and Mexico. During the spring they migrate to their
summer nesting areas in the Great Plains and the Great Basin. The White Pelicans
migrates February through March and October through November. The largest population
of Pelicans can be found at the Riverlands Migratory Bird Sanctuary during
these months. However, it is not uncommon to see these flocks throughout the year.